Ammunition-feed box



April 7, 1931- R. c. COUPLAND AMMUNITION FEED BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNov. 7. 1929 INVENTOR. Richard Efjuu lamzl ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. Richard E- Emupland ATTORNEY April 7, 1931. R. c. COUPLANDAMMUNITION FEED BOX Filed Nov. 7. 1929 Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITE? i??AMMUNITION-FEED Box Application filed November 7, 1929. Serial No.405,466.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, AS AMENDED APRIL 30, 1928; 370O. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and usedby or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the paymentto me of any royalty thereon.

The subject of this invention is an ammunition feed box especiallyapplicable for machine guns mounted on aircraft or land vehicles wherespace is extremely limited and the gunner is obliged to position the boxand load the gun with one hand.

In providing ammunition feed boxes with cartridge feeding apparatus thetrend of development has been toward complicated structure and involvedmechanisms. The box is, therefore an expensive unit and instead of beingthrown away when empty, it is retained for the purpose of recharging.

. The purpose of this invention is to provide a cartridge feeding devicein a light,'waterin a novel manner with the cover of a container and isarranged to be capable of secure.

1y holding the cartridge belt in loading position in the feedway of thegun when the cover of the gun is raised for the purpose of correctingstoppages. p

With the foregoing and other obj ects in view, the invention resides inthe novel ar rangement and combination of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved ammunition feed box,parts being broken away to show the normal position of the first roundof the ammunition belt;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation showing the belt advanced into thefeedway of a machine gun;

proof container which will serve both as a of a rectangular open cartonof light metal or waterproof fiber-board adapted to contain a belt 5 ofammunition. The front wall 6 whlch is adjacent the gun 7 when the box isplaced in the support 8 is terminated shortof the top of the box to forman exit 9, the dimensions of which are substantially equal to acartridge 10. The upper edge of the front wall isbent outwardly toprovide a lip 11 which when the box is in position is level with andextends practically to the floor 12 of the feedway '13 of the gun toinsure a smooth movement of the cartridges. The lip is of suificientwidth to support the first round of the belt in such a position thatwhen the box is lowered into the support 8 the round will not strike thecover 14 of the gun.

The cover 15 of the feed box is conveniently mounted for slidingmovement by means of a tongue andgroove connection, in the presentinstance the tongue 16 being provided by fianging the side plates 17 ofthe container and the groove 18 being formed by turning over orchanneling the sides of the cover. The cover is of less length than theopening of the feed box and the near or front side is provided centrallywith a recess 19 (Fig. 2). A leaf spring 20 serving in the capacity of abelt advancing pawl is secured externally to the cover and is normallydepressed below the plane of the cover within the recessed portion 19.The pawl includes a pair of spaced fingers 21 of vary ing length toeffectively engage the tapered side of the round on each side of thebelt 5, which beltmay be either of fabric or metallic disintegratinglink construction. The fingers 21 exert sufiicient pressure to insureretention of the first round in the exit 9 and to prevent accidentalwithdrawal of the belt.

When the cover is in the loading position shown in Figs. 3 and 4:,having been moved wall thereof, spaced cartridge engaging feed pawlssecured to the cover and extendin to the exit of the container, meansfor hol ing the cover in place before and after it is moved to advancethe feed pawls beyond the exit.

8. An ammunition feed box comprising a container having a cartridge exitat the upper end of its front wall, a cover slidable on the containerand terminating short of the front wall thereof, spaced cartridgeengaging feed pawls secured to the cover and extending to the exit ofthe container, means for holding the cover in place after it is moved toadvance the feed pawls beyond the exit.

9. An ammunition feed box comprising a container having a cartridge exitat the upper end of its front wall, a cover slidable on the containerand terminating short of the front wall thereof, a cartridge engaging-feed pawl secured to the cover and extending to the exit of thecontainer, and means for holding the cover in place after it is moved toadvance the feed pawl beyond the exit.

10. An ammunition feed box comprising a container having a cartridgeexit, a cover slidable on the container, a feed pawl carried by thecover and normally extending into the exit and means for holding thecover in place after it is moved to advance the feed pawl beyond theexit.

11. An ammunition feed box comprising a container having a cartridgeexit, a cover slidable on the container, and a feed pawl carried by thecover and normally extending into the exit. 7

12. An ammunition feed box comprising a container having a cartridgeexit, and a cover slidable on the container and having cartridgeengaging means for advancing a cartridge through the exit.

RICHARD C. COUPLAND.

